Top Essays USB Drive

This USB drive contains 100 of the top This I Believe audio broadcasts of the last ten years, plus some favorites from Edward R. Murrow's radio series of the 1950s. It's perfect for personal or classroom use! Click here to learn more.

Some say that telling the “whole truth and nothing but the truth” can hurt. A lot of people are scared to hear the truth because they are not ready to hear their flaws or the reality of a situation. There are people walking the streets and constantly hear the same bad comments thrown at them by numerous people but just do not get the picture of what the truth of the matter is. If one lets the truth come out, life will flow a lot smoother. Of course there are those who are better off holding the truth in simply because they benefit a lot better holding it in, but it really is not healthy for them to do that. Going around telling one lie after the next builds up and sooner or later one will get lost in the lies and life will begin tumbling down on them because the truth has come out. Some things are meant to stay private but sometimes the truth needs to be said and a lot of people don’t agree with this but some people would much rather hear the truth of how one feels then a lie or a “sugar-coated” lie. There many people walking around today who have told nothing but continuous lies for years and no one will ever know, but why should anyone have to live like that. I believe strongly in the saying “The Truth Shall Set You Free” because having a clear conscience is best for everyone because one will not have to worry about commotion in their life. One that always lies is known not to be trusted and once one loses a lot of trust and it becomes very hard to prosper. Everyone should tell the truth no matter the circumstances. When doing so, do so respectfully and at the right time and place so that one will not risk the chances of really hurting or embarrassing anyone. Always be true to ones self. If one can not be true to thy self then why should one expect others to be true to them? Always tell the truth and everyone will learn to respect everything one has to say.

Essay of the Week

On August 28, 1963, Benita Porter went with her mother to attend the March on Washington. It was during Dr. King’s spellbinding message of hope, love, and the universality of mankind that Ms. Porter was inspired by the belief that words—her own words—could arouse passion, change minds, and bring about social change. Click here to read her essay.

What Students Believe

Throughout the school year, young people around the world write statements of belief as a classroom exercise. And thousands of those students have submitted their essays to our series. Click here to read a sampling of what young people believe.